Why Are Catholic Bibles Bigger?

by Steve Ray on January 17, 2008

Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger! If you are wondering why we have seven books in our Bibles that the Protestants removed from their Bibles, then you need this book. If you have been asked the question and don’t know how to answer, then you really need this book.

Gary Michuta is a top notch Catholic apologist and has written this timely book to definitively defend the Catholic canon of Scripture. You can see the book or buy it here. See more about Gary and his other book and his debate with James White, clickhere. Updated discussions are also on his website.

My blurb on the back cover says, “No book is more important than the Bible, and no question is more imprortant than what writings belong in the Bible. Controversy has raged since Martin Luther challenged the content of Scriptures. In this excellent book Gary Michuta has put the controversy to rest and provides an easy-to-read yet scholarly explanation and defense of the Catholic Bible.”

Many Protestant apologists take quotes of the Fathers of Church out of their contextual and historical context to make it appear that the early Church all rejected the Deutero-canonical books. But it is not that simple. I suggest people read Gary’s book for the whole story.

Many Protestant apologists take quotes of the Fathers of Church out of their contextual and historical context to make it appear that the early Church all rejected the Deutero-canonical books. I don't know any Prot apologist who argues (or "makes it appear") that all the early Church fathers rejected the deuterocanonical books. Certainly a good many did, but a good many did not. It was debated up to the Reformation within the Church with much division among great scholars within the Roman Communion throughout the Reformation, including at Trent where the deuterocanon was accepted but hardly overwhelmingly (not even a majority if considering the abstentions). There's good arguments for and against — why can't both sides simply recognize this? Of course, the Catholic is bound since Trent to go with the "for" arguments, but it's certainly understandable why a Protestant would not.

STEVE RAY HERE: First, there are Protestant apologists who do this. Second, there is a lot of misinformation on the Deutero-canonicals. Again, I suggest people read Gary's book for a much more detailed account of the history of the situation. Third, the Church HAS always used the Deuteros as Scripture even if some questioned their canonicity. Fourth, yes, Catholics are bound because we have an authority. As Reformed author and teacher R. C. Sproul says in his book Essential Truths of the Christian Faith: Catholics have an infallible list of infallible books; Protestants have a fallible list of infallible books, liberals have a fallible list of fallible books.

I’m a Protestant reading it right now. It’s interesting and an enjoyable read. Apart from the vast numbers of type-o’s, it’s pretty good. I appreciate the fact that he discusses some of the Fathers who did NOT accept the Deutero’s. However, like many works on the Fathers, quotes are brief, which by necessity means they are outside of their context (note: not out of context, which is different). I will have to do the cross-reference work later. Still, I recommend it, as well.

Greetings!
I’m a catholic studying apologetics. i happen to visit the website: http://www.ligonier.org., what can you say about their comments about the Bible? protestants quote the Fathers of the Church yet they have difficulty of believing their teachings.